Posts from 2018 (Page 2)
Christians and Civil Government
For years, I have been keenly interested in the relationship between Christians and the civil government. I am clearly not alone in that. Any ordinary election season intensifies that existing concern. And regardless of your political leanings, I think we can agree that, between the last Presidential election and this midterm election, we are not in an ordinary season. Many Christians feel that they face a dilemma: we must vote for one major party or the other, and both options…
The Church of Football
We are just into the beginning of another football season. NFL teams play their third game today, and most high schools and colleges are 3 or 4 games into their seasons, so the shape of most teams is starting to come into focus. Depending on your level of fandom, and what team(s) you follow, you are either eagerly anticipating the next few months or bracing yourself for a long season. You won’t find many bigger football fans than me. I…
I Know Whom I Have Believed
We had memorial services this past week for two of our sisters in Christ. Having only been here for a few months, I did not have the pleasure of knowing either of these two dear ladies. But I know that many of you counted them as close friends and mourn their loss. I have enjoyed the opportunity to know more about them through the reminiscences some of you have shared with me. And, most of all, I appreciate the fact…
Undenominational Christianity
I think it is profitable for us to be familiar with what our forefathers in the faith taught. This helps to refine our own thinking on particular issues and to understand how we got here. To be ignorant of our own history is to be unaware of how it continues to shape us. So, from time to time, I like to publish articles written in days gone by for our edification. This comes from F. D. Srygley, the front page…
Help Wanted
I passed by the field of a sluggard, by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns; the ground was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it; I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man. (Proverbs 24:30-34) Tomorrow is Labor Day. Scripture has a great…
What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?
It must have been a sobering experience for Elijah, hidden away in a cave, to have God ask, What are you doing here Elijah? How Elijah found himself in that cave and where he went from there make an interesting story, a story from which we can learn a great deal. It is recorded in 1 Kings 19:9-18. Elijah bursts upon the scene in 1 Kings 17during the reign of the wicked Ahab, King of Israel, with the prayer that…
The Church is on Fire!
If you have listened to enough sermons over the years, you might have realized that you often hear different preachers using the same illustrations. My dad has always referred to those as “Preaching 101” stories. One of them concerns a church building in a certain community that was on fire. Naturally, that kind of news spreads fast, and the entire community rushed out to see the excitement and watch as the firemen fought the flames. Among those drawn to the…
Jesus at the Wedding
At almost every wedding – it may be at the rehearsal or at the ceremony itself –there is at least one mistake or moment of crisis. I remember our wedding, for example, where the bride did not arrive until an hour after the ceremony was supposed to commence. She claimed that they ran behind getting everyone’s hair fixed and the delay was compounded with an exceptionally foggy night, making travel to the church building take twice as long as normal.…
Judge Righteous Judgment
Judge not that you be not judged. (Matthew 7:1) This might be the most frequently quoted passage of Scripture in contemporary America. At least, it’s habitually cited by people who rip it from context without any idea of what Jesus meant by this statement. It is a convenient verse to have in your back pocket to prove what you already want to believe. Accordingly, it is often used to advance moral relativism. “You live your lifestyle, and I’ll live mine.…
A Mythical Jesus?
With the rise of the internet, it is more likely than ever that you will encounter the theory that Jesus is a mythical figure. This has been a settled issue among scholars for decades; not even the most skeptical ancient historians or liberal theologians doubt the existence of a first-century Palestinian man named Jesus. Yet the popular imagination runs rampant with tales of conspiracy and corruption, myth and fabrication, and ubiquitous parallels of Jesus to ancient pagan gods. Perhaps some…
Opportunity Still Knocks
The following article is by Cleon Lyles and originally appeared in “Just a Moment” in March 1962. But it’s just as relevant today as it was then – I encourage you to think about it. – BP Every person can be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do. How few ever realize this to the fullest! It is not because there is something wrong with us. Recently I read this statement: Opportunity still…
Once Upon a Pew
Once upon a pew I sat. And heard the preacher ask “We need someone to teach an adult class, Now who will take this task?” Then God sat down beside me there And said, “Son, that’s for you.” “But, Lord, to stand before a class Is one thing I can’t do. Now Brett or Don would be the men to call, There’s nothing they won’t do. I’d rather hear the lesson taught From here upon my pew.” Once upon a…